Alli Brown's "Undeniable"… Hmm, where to even begin with this kaleidoscope of sound from Salt Lake City? It's like someone took the earnestness of a diary entry, crumpled it up, threw it at a dartboard of genres – pop, folk, country, rock – and then decided to set the whole thing to music. Did the dartboard land on "genius" or "glorious mess"? I'm still...

To understand the profound depth of Amana Melome's new album, "Recalibration", one must first appreciate the legacy she carries. As the granddaughter of Jimmy Woode, the legendary bassist who was the youngest member of Duke Ellington's orchestra and who performed alongside icons like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Melome' is heir to a monumental tradition in American music. Her latest work is not a simple continuation...